Online test for asthma

A new test is being made available to help people with asthma get an idea of how much at risk they are from a serious attack.

The online test called Triple A: Avoid Asthma Attacks is on a website that will also advise people what they can do to minimise that risk and how to stay well.

It comes as the Royal College of Physicians is to launch a national review of all asthma deaths over the next year, aimed at cutting the number of deaths through asthma, currently at three a day in the UK.

The test asks simple factors about increased risk and puts those taking part into three colour-coded categories with red suggesting a person is at an highly increased risk.

Asthma UK, which is behind the website, believes three quarters of asthma-related emergency hospital admissions could be prevented.

Dr Samantha Walker, director of research and policy at Asthma UK, said: “The test is designed to make people take notice and make changes to the way they manage their asthma if they are shown to be at an increased risk of an attack.

“This kind of test for asthma has never been done before but we're confident it will prove an effective motivator to help reduce frightening and often unnecessary hospital admissions.”

Dr Mark L Levy, the clinical lead of the National Review of Asthma Deaths, said it was important to learn from every death.

Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said the government was funding the work to help front-line professionals improve the management of asthma.